The original text and translation of Sima Qian's "Historical Records: Biography of Lian Po and Lin Xiangru"!

The original text of "The Biography of Lian Po and Lin Xiangru"

A person who is Lian Po is also a good general of Zhao. In the 16th year of King Huiwen of Zhao, Lian Po became the general of Zhao. He attacked Qi and defeated it. He took Yang Jin and worshiped him as a high minister. He became famous among the princes for his courage. Lin Xiangru was a native of Zhao, and those who served as Zhao eunuchs ordered Miao Xian to sacrifice his people. During the reign of King Zhao Huiwen, he obtained the Chu He clan jade. When King Zhao of Qin heard about it, he sent someone to leave a letter from King Zhao, saying that he was willing to offer fifteen cities to Yi Bi.

The King of Zhao and General Lian Po conspired with the ministers: If they want to give to Qin, the city of Qin may not be available, and they will be deceived; The plan has not yet been decided, and those who ask for help to report to Qin will not get it. The eunuch ordered Miao Xian to say: "The minister and his friend, Lin Xiangru, can use it." The king asked: "How do you know this?" He replied: "I feel guilty, and I want to flee Yan. I, my minister, and my friend, Xiangru, stopped me and said: " How do you know King Yan? "

The minister said: "I came to the meeting place between the king and the king of Yan. The king of Yan held my hand privately and said, "I would like to make friends." Knowing this, I want to go there. "Xiangru said to his ministers: 'My husband, Zhao is strong but Yan is weak, and the king is lucky to be king of Zhao, so the king of Yan wants to marry you. Now that the king has lost Zhao and left for Yan, and Yan is afraid of Zhao, he will not dare to stay with the king, and will marry him." Your Majesty returns to Zhao. It is better for you to plead guilty with your bare axe. "I will follow his plan, and I will be forgiven. I think he is a brave man and can be used."

Then the king summoned Lin Xiangru and asked: "The king of Qin has asked Yi Yi for his jade for fifteen cities, can you give it to me?" What can I do if they don't give me the city?" Xiangru said, "Qin asked for the city but Zhao refused, so I wanted to give it to Zhao. If Zhao gave me the jade but Qin didn't give me the city, I would rather give it to Qin. "Qu."

The king asked: "Who can be the envoy?" "The king of Zhao then sent Xiangru to the west to Qin with a jade. The King of Qin saw Xiangru while sitting on Zhangtai, and Xiangru presented a jade to the King of Qin. The King of Qin was overjoyed and spread the news to show off the beauty and the people around him, who all shouted long live.

Xiangru thought that the King of Qin had no intention of repaying Zhao Cheng, so he said before him: "There is a flaw in the jade, please inform the king." The king gave the bib, but Xiangru stood up because he was holding the jade, leaning on the pillar, and became angry and rushed to the crown. .

The king of Qin said: "The king wanted to get the jade, so he sent a letter to the king of Zhao. The king of Zhao summoned all the ministers to discuss, and they all said, 'Qin is greedy and betrays its power. It asks for the jade with empty words, but it will be repaid with empty words." The city is afraid of not being able to get it. I don't want to give it to Qin. I think that the common people can't deceive each other, let alone a big country! It's not possible to use a bi to defeat the Qin Dynasty. So King Zhao fasted for five days and sent his envoys. Bi, send the letter to the court.

Who is it? The great power of the country is to show respect. Now that the king has arrived, the king sees the ministers, and the etiquette is very arrogant. When he got the bi, he passed it on to the beauty, so as to tease the minister. I see that the king has no intention of repaying the city of Zhao, so I want to take the jade again. The king must be anxious for me, and my head and the jade are both broken on the pillar!" Xiangru held the jade pillar and wanted to hit the pillar. The King of Qin was afraid that the jade would be broken, so he declined and insisted on the invitation. He summoned the secretary and ordered him to give Zhao the fifteenth capital from now on.

Xiangrudu, the King of Qin, specially offered the money to Zhao City with deceptive details, but they couldn’t get it, so he told the King of Qin, “He’s Bi is the only treasure in the world. The King of Zhao was afraid and did not dare not to give it away. When the king of Zhao presented the bi, he fasted for five days. Now the king should also fast for five days and set up nine guests at the court. I dared to present the bi. "The king of Qin offered it, but in the end he could not take it by force, so he promised to fast for five days and give it up." Such as Guangcheng Chuan.

Although King Xiangru was fasting during his stay, he decided to break the promise and not repay the city. He made his followers wear brown clothes and carry their bis. They died along the path and returned the bis to Zhao. Five days after Qin Wangzhai, nine guests were set up in the court to invite Lin Xiangru, the envoy from Zhao. When Xiangru arrived, he said to the King of Qin: "There have been more than twenty kings in Qin since Duke Mu, but none of them have strong and clear restraints. I am sincerely afraid that I will deceive the king and betray Zhao, so I sent someone to return to Zhao with a jade."

Qin is strong and Zhao is weak. The king sends an envoy to Zhao, and Zhao Li comes with the bi. Now that Qin is strong, he will first cut off the fifteen capitals to Zhao. How can Zhao dare to keep the bi and offend the king? Huh? I know that the crime of bullying the king should be punished. Please give me the soup wok. I will discuss it with the king and the officials. "The king of Qin and the officials looked at each other and smiled.

The left and right might want to lure Xiangru away, but the King of Qin said: "If you kill Xiangru now, you will never be able to get the bi. If you want to end the joy of Qin and Zhao, it is better to treat him kindly and make him return to Zhao. How can the King of Zhao do it with him?" Because of the jade, he deceived Qin Xie! "When the emperor saw Xiangru, he returned with courtesy. After Xiangru returned, King Zhao thought that a good official would not disgrace the princes, so he worshiped Xiangru as his superior official. Qin also refused to give the city to Zhao, and Zhao finally refused to give Qin Bi. Later, Qin attacked Zhao and plundered the stone city.

Next year, we will attack Zhao again and kill 20,000 people. The King of Qin sent an envoy to tell the King of Zhao that he wanted to make peace with the king and met in Mianchi outside the Xihe River. King Zhao was afraid of Qin and wanted to do nothing. Lian Po and Lin Xiangru planned and said: "If the king cannot do it, it shows that Zhao is weak and timid." King Zhao followed suit and Xiangru followed. Lian Po sent him to the country and said to the king: "The king is on his way. After completing the courtesy of meeting on the way, he will return it within thirty days. If he does not return it within thirty days, please make the prince king to eliminate the hope of Qin."

Wang Xuzhi then met with King Qin in Mianchi. The King of Qin was drinking heavily and said, "I have overheard King Zhao's good news. Please play the harp." The King of Zhao played the harp. The prehistoric book of Qin Yu says: "On a certain year, month and day, the King of Qin and the King of Zhao had a drink and ordered the King of Zhao to play the harp." Lin Xiangru said before: "King Zhao heard that King Qin was good for Qin, and asked him to send a pot to King Qin to entertain him." King Qin was angry and refused.

So Xiangru went forward and knelt down to ask the King of Qin. The king of Qin refused to attack Fou. Xiangru said: "Within five steps, Xiangru will be able to splash blood on his neck, the king!" So the king of Qin was not convinced and attacked him. Xiangru Gu Zhao Zhao Yushi wrote: "On a certain year, month and day, the King of Qin struck the fou for the King of Zhao." The officials of Qin said: "Please take the fifteenth city of Zhao as the longevity of the King of Qin.

"

Lin Xiangru also said: "Please take Xianyang of Qin as the longevity of King Zhao. "The king of Qin drank wine, but in the end he could not beat Zhao. Zhao Yisheng set up troops to wait for Qin, but Qin did not dare to move. After he returned to the country, he thought that Xiangru had made great achievements and worshiped him as the minister, and he was on the right of Lian Po. Lian Po said "I am a Zhao general and have accomplished great feats in sieges and field battles. However, Lin Xiangru only works with words and words, yet he is above me and looks like a lowly person. I am ashamed and cannot bear to be inferior to him." "Declaration: "When I see Xiangru, I will humiliate him. "

Xiangru refused to attend the meeting after hearing about it. Xiangru often complained of illness every time he went to court, and did not want to compete with Lianpo. When Xiangru came out, he saw Lianpo, so Xiangru drove his car to avoid it. . So he remonstrated with others and said: "The reason why I go to my relatives to serve the king is because I admire the king's high righteousness." Today, you are on the same level as Lian Po. If Lian Jun spreads evil words and you are afraid to hide them, you are extremely frightened, and mediocre people are ashamed of them, how much worse than generals! I have been dishonored, so please resign.

Lin Xiangru stood still and said: "Which one of you, the Duke, regards as an honest general or the King of Qin?" "It's not like that," he said. Xiangru said: "I use the power of the King of Qin to scold Xiangru and humiliate his ministers. Although Xiangru is a slave, do you only fear General Lian?" Gu Wu thought that the reason why Qin Dynasty did not dare to send troops to Zhao was because we were here. Now two tigers are fighting each other, and their power is not uniform. The reason why I do this is to put national urgent matters first and then personal vendettas. "

When Lian Po heard this, he bare his flesh and carried thorns, because the guests came to Lin Xiangru's door to apologize. He said: "You despicable people don't know that the general is so lenient." "The soldiers met each other and rejoiced, becoming friends who cut their necks.

Translation:

Lian Po was an outstanding general of the Zhao State. In the 16th year of King Zhao Huiwen's reign, Lian Po served as the general of the Zhao State. General, he attacked Qi State, defeated the Qi army, captured Yang Jin, and was appointed as Shangqing. Therefore, Lian Po was famous among the princes for his bravery and good fighting skills. Lin Xiangru was a native of Zhao State and served as the eunuch leader of Zhao State.

During the reign of King Zhao Huiwen, the State of Zhao obtained Heshi Bi from the State of Chu. When King Qin Zhao heard about this, he sent a letter to King Zhao, saying that he would give it to him with fifteen cities. The State of Zhao asked for He's Bi in exchange. The King of Zhao discussed with General Lian Po and many ministers: He wanted to give this jade to the State of Qin, but he was afraid that he would not be able to get the city of Qin and be deceived in vain. Worried that Qin soldiers would attack, he was undecided and wanted to find someone who could be sent to restore Qin's power, but he couldn't find one.

The eunuch leader Miao Xian said: "My retainer Lin Xiangru can be sent as an envoy." King Zhao asked: "How do you know that he can be sent as an envoy?" Miao Xian replied: "I have committed a crime and secretly planned to escape to Yan State." My disciple Lin Xiangru stopped me and said: 'How do you know that King Yan will take you in?

I told him that I had followed the king to meet King Yan at the border. King Yan held my hand in private and said, "I am willing to make friends." I knew him from this, so I planned to go to him. Lin Xiangru said to me: "Now that Zhao is strong and Yan is weak, and you are favored by King Zhao, King Yan wants to make friends with you."

Now you have escaped from Zhao to Yan. King Yan is afraid of Zhao. Under this situation, King Yan will not dare to take you in. Instead, he will tie you up and send you back to Zhao. You might as well bare your chest and arms and lie on the ax to plead guilty, and you will be lucky enough to be pardoned by King Zhao.' I listened to his advice, and fortunately the king pardoned me. I privately think that Lin Xiangru is a warrior and resourceful, so he should be able to serve as an envoy. ”

So King Zhao summoned Lin Xiangru and asked him: “The King of Qin plans to exchange fifteen cities for my jade, can you give it to him?” Lin Xiangru said: "Qin is strong and Zhao is weak, so we have to agree to his request." King Zhao said: "Take away my jade and don't give me the city. What should I do?" Lin Xiangru said: "The king of Qin exchanged the city for the bi and Zhao did not agree, so it was Zhao who was at fault; Zhao gave Qin bi but Zhao did not give Zhao the city, so it was Qin who was at fault."

Comparing these two strategies, I would rather agree to Qin's request and let it bear the responsibility for the loss. King Zhao asked: "Who can be sent?" Lin Xiangru replied: "The king really can't find anyone. I am willing to send He's Bi as an envoy to Qin." If the city is given to the State of Zhao, the jade will be left in the State of Qin; if the city is not given to the State of Zhao, I promise to bring He's Bi back to the State of Zhao intact. ”

The King of Zhao sent Lin Xiangru to the west to enter Qin State with the Heshi Bi. The King of Qin sat in Zhangtai Palace to receive Lin Xiangru. Lin Xiangru presented the Heshi Bi to the King of Qin. The King of Qin was very happy and gave the Heshi Bi to the King of Qin. The bibi was passed to the concubines and attendants, and all the ministers cheered "Long live". Lin Xiangru saw that King Qin had no intention of giving the city reward to Zhao, so he stepped forward and said, "There is something wrong with the bishang. Please let me point it out to the king." "

The King of Qin handed He's Bi to Lin Xiangru. Lin Xiangru then took the Bi and took a few steps back and stood, leaning against a pillar, his hair standing up angrily, as if he was about to hold up his hat. He said to the King of Qin: " The king wanted to get He's Bi, so he sent a message to King Zhao. King Zhao summoned all the ministers to discuss, and they all said: "Qin is greedy and relies on its strength. It wants to use empty words to ask for He's Bi. I'm afraid it will be compensated for the city of Zhao." Can't get it. ’

I don’t plan to give Qin He’s jade. But I think that the exchanges between common people do not deceive each other, let alone the exchanges between great powers! And it is not right to make the powerful Qin unhappy because of a piece of jade. So King Zhao fasted for five days and sent me to hold the Heshi Bi, kowtow in the court hall, and personally present the credentials. why is that? To show respect for the prestige of a great power.

Now that I came to Qin, the king received me in an ordinary palace with very arrogant etiquette. After getting the bi, he passed it to his concubines to tease me. I saw that the king had no intention of giving Zhao Guo fifteen cities as compensation, so he took it back.

The king must force me, and my head will be smashed on the pillar together with He's Bi!"

Lin Xiangru held the He's Bi, squinted at the pillar, and was about to hit it on the pillar. King Qin Afraid that he would break He's Bi, he apologized politely and firmly asked him not to break He's Bi. He also summoned the officials in charge to look at the map and pointed out that fifteen cities from here to there should be assigned to the State of Zhao.

Lin Xiangru estimated that the King of Qin was just pretending to give the city to Zhao through deceptive means, but could not actually get it, so he said to the King of Qin: "He's Bi is a treasure recognized by the world. The King of Zhao is in awe of the king and dare not Don't give it. When King Zhao presented the jade, he fasted for five days. Now the king should also fast for five days and install the "Nine Guests" in the court hall. Only then can I dare to present He's Bi. ”

The King of Qin estimated that in this situation, he could not take it by force, so he agreed to fast for five days and placed Lin Xiangru in the Guangcheng Hotel. After paying the compensation to the State of Zhao, he sent his followers wearing coarse cloth and carrying the piece of bi to escape from the alley and return it to the State of Zhao.

After fasting for five days, King Qin set up a "Nine-Nine" in the court. Lin Xiangru, the envoy of the State of Zhao, was invited as a guest. I was really afraid that I would be deceived by the king and that I would be sorry for the State of Zhao, so I sent someone back with the jade, and I had already reached the State of Zhao by a small road.

Besides, the Qin State is strong and the Zhao State is weak. The king sent a small envoy to the Zhao State, and the Zhao State immediately brought the jade. Now, relying on the strength of the Qin State, first cede fifteen cities to the State of Zhao. How dare the State of Zhao keep the jade and offend the king? I know that the crime of deceiving the king should be punished by death, so I request to be punished by the soup wok. I hope the king and ministers will discuss this matter carefully. "

The King of Qin and the ministers looked at each other and gave out helpless, bitter laughter. Some of the servants wanted to pull Lin Xiangru out of the court to punish him. The King of Qin said: "If you kill Lin Xiangru now, you will not be able to get the Heshi Bi. Instead, it severed the friendly relations between Qin and Zhao. It's better to take advantage of this opportunity to entertain him well and let him return to Zhao Kingdom. Would King Zhao deceive Qin because of a piece of jade? ”

Finally he received Lin Xiangru at the court, completed the etiquette of the reception, and sent him back to the State of Zhao. After Lin Xiangru returned to the State, the King of Zhao thought that he was a virtuous doctor who would not be humiliated when he was sent as an envoy to the vassal countries. He was appointed as a senior official. After that, Qin did not give Zhao the city, and Zhao did not give He Shibi to Qin. Later, the Qin army attacked Zhao and captured Shicheng. In the same year, the Qin army attacked Zhao again and killed 20,000 people from Zhao. The king of Qin sent envoys to tell the king of Zhao that he planned to make peace with the king of Zhao and meet in Mianchi outside Xihe. The king of Zhao was afraid of Qin and refused to go. , Lin Xiangru discussed it and said: "If the king does not go, it will appear that Zhao is weak and cowardly. "The King of Zhao then set off for the meeting, and Lin Xiangru accompanied him.

Lian Po was sent to the border, and when he said goodbye to the King of Zhao, he said: "Your Majesty, on this trip, it is estimated that the itinerary and the etiquette of the meeting will be completed until he returns home. It will take more than thirty days. If the king does not come back in thirty days, please allow me to make the prince king, so as to put an end to Qin's idea of ??threatening Zhao. "The king of Zhao agreed with Lian Po's suggestion and met with the king of Qin in Mianchi.

When the king of Qin was drinking happily, he said: "I heard privately that the king of Zhao likes music. Please ask the king to play the harp!" King Zhao played the harp. The historian of Qin came forward and wrote: "On a certain day of a certain month, the King of Qin and the King of Zhao met for a drink and ordered the King of Zhao to play the harp. Lin Xiangru walked forward and said: "King Zhao has heard privately that King Qin is good at playing Qin music. Please allow me to offer a pot of fou to King Qin (ask King Qin to knock it), so that we can entertain each other." !" King Qin was angry and refused to knock the fou. At this time, Lin Xiangru stepped forward and offered a tile fou. Taking advantage of the situation, he knelt down and asked the king of Qin to knock the fou. The king of Qin refused to knock the tile fou.

Lin Xiangru said: " (If the king refuses to knock the fou), within five steps, I can splash the blood from my neck on the king!" The attendants around King Qin wanted to kill Lin Xiangru with a knife, but Lin Xiangru scolded them with his eyes wide open, and they were all frightened. Then the King of Qin was very unhappy and struck the fou for the King of Zhao.

Lin Xiangru turned around and summoned the historian of Zhao and wrote: "On a certain day of a certain month, the King of Qin struck the fou for the King of Zhao. The ministers of the State of Qin said: "Please invite the King of Zhao to use the fifteen cities of the State of Zhao to celebrate the birthday of the King of Qin." Lin Xiangru also said: "Please give Xianyang, the capital of Qin State, to King Zhao for his birthday." "Until the end of the banquet, the King of Qin still failed to gain the upper hand over Zhao. Zhao sent a large number of troops to the border to guard against Qin's invasion, and the Qin army did not dare to act rashly.

After the Mianchi meeting, he returned to Zhao , because of Lin Xiangru's great achievements, King Zhao appointed him as a minister, ranking above Lian Po. Lian Po said: "As a general of Zhao, I have made great achievements in sieges and field battles, but Lin Xiangru only relied on a few words." He has made some achievements, but his position is above mine. Besides, Lin Xiangru is a humble person, and I feel ashamed and unwilling to be below him!" He threatened, "When I meet Lin Xiangru, I will definitely insult him. ”

After hearing these words, Lin Xiangru refused to meet with him. Whenever he went to court, he often used excuses of illness and did not want to compete with Lian Po for position. After some time, Lin Xiangru went out. , saw Lian Po from a distance, and turned around to avoid him.

In this case, the retainers all advised him: "We left our parents and brothers to serve you just because we admire your nobility. Morality.

Now you and Lian Po have the same position. General Lian spreads some evil words, but you are afraid of him and avoid him. You are too afraid. A mediocre person would be ashamed of this situation, let alone a general! We really have no talent, please allow us to say goodbye and leave!"

Lin Xiangru firmly persuaded them to stay, saying: "Look at General Lian. Who is more powerful than King Qin? The retainer replied: "(General Lian) is not as powerful as King Qin." Lin Xiangru said: "With the majesty of King Qin, I, Lin Xiangru, dare to scold him in the court of Qin and insult his ministers."

Although Xiangru has low talents, is he afraid of General Lian? But I thought of this question: The reason why the powerful Qin State does not dare to invade Zhao State easily is because of the existence of the two of us! If the two tigers fight against each other now, they will definitely not survive. The reason why I did this was to put the national emergency first and personal hatred last!"

When Lian Po heard this, he undressed his naked back, carried thorns on his back, and was led to Lin Xiangru's house through the retainers. He apologized and said: "I am a crude and humble person, but I didn't know that the general tolerated me to this extent!" The two finally reconciled and became life-and-death friends.

Extended information:

This article uses three historical stories: "Returning the Perfect Bi to Zhao", "The Meeting at Mianchi", and "The Generals Rejoice" to portray Lin Xiangru's heroic image of being resourceful, brave and unafraid of violence, as well as his profound understanding of righteousness and his belief in "putting the country first". He also praised Lian Po's noble spirit of being loyal to the State of Zhao and having the courage to change.

Due to the harmonious relationship between Lian Po and Lin Xiangru and the close internal unity of the State of Zhao, the State of Zhao had a long history of For a period of time, Qin never sent troops to invade Zhao. This shows how important internal unity is to the consolidation and security of a country. This article excerpts the joint biography of Lian Po and Lin Xiangru, but it mainly writes about Lin Xiangru. Lian Po writes in a simpler way.

When writing about the main character Lin Xiangru, the author uses a high-level approach and carefully selects the most representative and expressive characters from all his life experiences. The three typical events of his thought and character, namely "Returning the Perfect Bi to Zhao", "Meeting in Mianchi" and "The Generals' Reunion", are described from different aspects with great concentration.

Whether he was writing about it before going on an envoy or not. In terms of Qin Bi's decision-making, and how he fought fiercely with Qin's monarchs and ministers while on an envoy, but was able to return to Zhao, or he advocated that Zhao Wang go to the Mianchi meeting and was able to humiliate Qin's monarchs and ministers when attending the meeting, In safeguarding the dignity of the State of Zhao, his great wisdom and courage are shown everywhere.

Especially when dealing with conflicts with Lian Po, he was able to endure humiliation and give in and maintain unity, which also shows his "powerful attitude." The noble moral character and far-sightedness of "putting national urgent matters first and then personal hatred". The author wrote about Lin Xiangru in these three major events. He painted them with strong colors and meticulous details, making them vivid and distinctive.

However, when writing about Lin Xiangru, the character of Lian Po is everywhere, and his role is shown everywhere, so that priorities can be clearly distinguished and comprehensive considerations can be taken into account when writing about Lin Xiangru in Qin. During the court struggle, he sent someone to return to Zhao with a jade in his arms. The monarchs and ministers of Qin were furious because they fell into the trap, but they did not dare to harm Lin Xiangru. This was because Zhao had an honest man who was "known to the princes for his courage".

The reason why Lin Xiangru dared to insult Qin’s monarchs and ministers and fight tit for tat at the Mianchi meeting was that Qin, as a victorious country, could not defeat the defeated Zhao State at the meeting. Its use of force threatened King Zhao’s wishful thinking. After being defeated by Lin Xiangru, he did not dare to act rashly. This was mainly because Lian Po sent King Zhao and Xiangru to the border and set up troops to wait for Qin, as a strong military backing for Lin Xiangru's diplomatic struggle.

< p>In the conflict between Lian and Lin, although it mainly describes Lin Xiangru's noble character of knowing the general situation, taking the overall situation into consideration, and being far-sighted, he also enthusiastically praises Lian Po's courage to correct his mistakes and his profound understanding of righteousness. Although there are not many Chinese words in the whole story, due to the typical selection of materials and proper handling, the characters are also lifelike. ?

In addition, the selection and organization of materials in this article are also quite distinctive. The three events chosen by the author have their own beginning and end, each have their own center, and are relatively independent; but they are in chronological order, based on the contradictions between Qin and Zhao, the changes in the status of Lian and Lin, and the origin of their conflicts. Occurrence and resolution are used as clues, and Lian and Lin's intercourse are used as the starting point. They are written in sequence, and they are intertwined and intertwined. They are cause and effect, and they are combined into one big story.

It is complete and unified, without any trace of chiseling. This shows that the article has a tight and rigorous structure and the author's ingenuity in organizing the material.

Reference material: Baidu Encyclopedia - "Biographies of Lian Po and Lin Xiangru"